No Ordinary Guy

by Mary Whitney

I’m not a philosophical kind of bloke, but I know something about luck. A childhood on the wrong side of advantage will teach you that. It’s all a matter of chance. It’s both your circumstances and the chances you take. So I've always been a gambler and a ladies man — they love me and I love them. Now I've found one like no other — an American, Allison Wright. When I met her, the fates were on my side, but too soon I learned the odds were against me.

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Amazon, Adult

Paperback

First published August 1, 2014

About the author

Mary Whitney blames Laura Ingalls Wilder and Margaret Mitchell for her obsession with romance novels. At an early age, Mary fell in love with the Little House series and its dreamy hero, Almanzo Wilder, who only wanted Laura to be Laura. Like many women, Mary later graduated to the ultimate, tall and dark bad boy, Rhett Butler, who loved Scarlett despite her flaws.

Mary has lived around the U.S., and after a first career in the non-profit world and politics, she's settled in Northern California with her husband and daughters. She spends her days writing characters she hopes somehow capture the romance of Rhett and Scarlett and Almanzo and Laura. She's a firm believer in what Rhett says to Scarlett: "You should be kissed, and often, and by someone who knows how.

Reviews

[*J* Too Many Books Too Little Time]

DNF @31%

Bottom line...



Nothing was happening other than the hero, David, pursuing the heroine, Allison, who up until the point I stopped reading had a boyfriend!

It felt like we were pretty much just waiting for the boyfriend to cheat on Allison so she could get end up with David!

I just wasn't connecting to either MC or the story and with a TBR a mile long....



ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[All Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

 

MICHELLE'S REVIEW

While No Ordinary Bloke can be read as a standalone, I highly suggest you read Nikki and Adam's story in BESIDE YOUR HEART and FOREVER YOUR HEART. And here's why: In those books you meet David as Adam's cocky but sweet cousin and you will FALL IN LOVE WITH HIM!!


MWhit is one of All Romance Reviews favorite authors and it's not just because she's generally awesome. She is one of the most talented writers we know. A lot of her romances have a touch of politics to them which I personally love. But at the heart of her books are some of the most realistic love stories out there.

I'm in my 30s, single and dating. Trying to find a life partner these days seems nearly impossible. And as much as I love reading perfectly packaged romances, sometimes I like a dose of reality. David and Allison's love story in NO ORDINARY BLOKE is just that kind of story.

David is a player through and through but he wants to find someone to spend the rest of his life with. It's just that until he meets that woman, he wants to have fun. But as much as he loves the company of many women, he treats them with utmost respect. It's impossible not to fall in love with him. Also he's British. HOT.


When he meets Allison on a work trip- he is immediately taken with her but she's with someone else. Of course the guy she's with is a tool. And David knows exactly how much of a tool he is but rather than tell Allison, he chooses to let her figure it out for herself and just be her friend.

Now I'll admit there were times I wanted David to just tell Allison about her douche boyfriend. And honestly, there were times that I just wanted to punch Allison for not seeing how amazing David was- or at least not realizing sooner that she should be with him.

I will warn you- it takes a while for them to get together. But when they do it's worth the wait.


Now- there is some additional conflict that happens and it BROKE MY HEART but I won't say anything more because you need to read it.

I had the honor of beta reading this book and if you ask MWhit- she will tell you that I was against anything that hurt David. But like I said- Mary tells a realistic story and sometimes love just hurts and it is a long and painful road to get there. It's like:


But as is the case with real life- it is well worth the wait. The ending and the epilogue of this book are perfect and I just loved every second of my dirty Brit.

If you don't know the writing of MWhit you need to. She's a serious talent and we here at ARR are so excited for everyone to meet David!!

 

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

SO much love for No Ordinary Bloke.

I can't stop smiling, from the first page I knew this was going to be an awesome read. Seeing David with baby Veronica had me swooning and tearing up with love.
And this was all from the first page!

David is such a warm, fun and lovable character, he enjoys the company of women and has such a way with words that even the hardest hearts soon find themselves drawn to him.

David won my heart from the Beside Your Heart series, when I heard the author Mary Whitney was going to write David's story I squealed from happiness, I couldn't wait to meet the woman who was finally going to win his heart :)

Allison and David meet at the airports lounge while waiting for a plane and from that moment you know they have something special.

Sigh... I loved seeing David fall in love, he was so giving and caring, he knows how to treat a woman and how to make her feel special.

David and Allison's love story is not all smooth sailing, I'm not going to give the storyline away other than to say Mary Whitney has written a beautiful love story that sees two people take the time to work on their personal issues and to make the other one feel they are loved and it's the forever kind of love.

While I loved the book from start to finish the epilogue might have been my favorite part, I LOVED IT! I laughed at David and I also teared up seeing how life had turned out for them.

This is one book I will be re-reading in the future.

I highly recommend No Ordinary Bloke, thank you Mary Whitney for writing and sharing your David with us.

Here are the links to the Beside Your Heart series, such a good read.

Beside Your Heart
Forever Your Heart
Disclosure of the Heart

I received the ARC from the author in exchange for my honest thoughts.

[aksana]

dnf at 36%

Sooo..
I'm going to make it quick and short

I didn't like that heroine had a boyfriend, who was not the hero.

I didn't like that everyone except the heroine knew that her boyfriend is probably cheating on her.

And I didn't like that at 36% there was still no break-up in sight

Overall too boring and eventless for me to continue.



ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get ready to fall in love with David!! :D

This was a charming and delicious book that will leave you beaming! David has finally met his match with Allison, and is now finding ways to court, or woo, her and not just be another "ordinary bloke"! ;)

Can't wait for you to experience this irresistible story!

Full review coming up soon at TheNovelTease.com! <3

[Shweta Choudhary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suffering from readers block this book penetrated it and made me come out of it a little!@ Completely a different book from what I used to read earlier! A sweet romance between characters. Funny at the times and a real good plot to go with it! The romance developed real well between them and I really liked it..because nowadays everyone seems to fall in love in two or one minute which I kind of can't understand. Allison and David met on the plane and they hit it off and that meeting changed both of their life and realize love,forgiveness,friendship ,relationship! So yeah this is book which I had needed right now! Even though I started noticing the difference of British and American English. It took me a little time to get into it but it was good! I would blame it on readers block because I don't tend to notice it once I am into the book! SO this book is awesome! Will I read more books by Mary?-Yes. Will I recommend to others?-Yup!

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with David from the first page - how can you resist a man so firmly wrapped around the finger of a baby girl····especially one he is merely borrowing. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this avowed ladies man fight against becoming a one woman man and then having to fight for the girl once he decides he wants her.

I love that Mary never gives her characters an easy happily ever after the first go round...once they find one another they face real life challenges, false starts and stupid mistakes before they really earn, and therefore appreciate, their happy ending

[Martyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so happy Mary gave David his own book! I loved the Beside Your Heart books but I think I loved David's book just a tad bit more. Such a fun book with just the tiniest bit of angst!

[Heidi McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come

[Michelle Kannan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another hit from Mary Whitney!!

It's no secret that I love this series but I have been waiting for David's story for a while and it is finally here!!

I could not love David more. I mean who doesn't want a dirty talking, sexy as sin Brit in their life. And to see him turn off his playboy ways when he finds the woman he really and truly wants in his life and as his future- the best!!

Allison sometimes got on my nerves but only because she didn't see what a douche Trey was and how wonderful David was. Or maybe she did and didn't want to admit it.

I would not consider this a book that has cheating in it mostly because Allison wouldn't be that person but for once, I found myself rooting for David and Allison to get it on no matter what!!!

David is the perfect book boyfriend to me- Alpha without being abusive. Manly without being too prideful.

[Jenn Avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I love everything the author has published, so I wasn’t surprised with how well written this story was. Very few books actually bring me to tears, but this one did… several times. I really enjoyed the character growth of David from the previous books, but even more so his growth in this book because he was in love.

The romance between David and Allison was well done and I enjoyed that it took time to unfold. The challenges that kept them apart were realistic and felt natural and Whitney does an amazing job of getting the reader to feel right along with the characters.

This entire book was written from David’s POV (except the epilogue) and I felt that really worked for this story. I recommend this for anyone who loves British heroes, well written romance, or fabulous characters.

[Heather in FL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was a really sweet story. It's reminscent of Tangled, though with a nice, English accent. And a bit less sex. That's not to say there's none, because there is (well past the 50% mark), but considering the rest of the story, it was almost just a blip. Almost inconsequential.

David was a manwhore. He was a, um, considerate manwhore, but a manwhore just the same. When his exes got married, he'd buy them something from their registry. No hard feelings, really; he's happy they found happiness. David hasn't completely written off monogomy, but he's not sure he'll find anyone compelling enough. Until Alison. Alison, who is dating a man about 20 years her senior. Alison, who is much too sweet for that jerk who is constantly cheating on her (though she doesn't know it yet). And David maneuvers under her skin really well. He flies under the radar. He's flirtatious, but backs off when he senses she'll bolt. They have a lot more in common than Alison and her boyfriend. And the closer they get, the more David realizes she's it for him. It also takes a couple of instances of ED with a couple of his regular girls to really hit home how hung up he was on her. Eventually, she returns his feelings.

I kinda had a problem with why she left him. I get the parallel with her father, but she didn't even give him a minute to explain where his head was. Sure, working through his issues was a good thing, but his reasoning for the incident honestly was pretty gallant. And sure, there was another way to handle it, but sheesh. She has history.... so does he... and the dude was pushing all of David's historical buttons.

Anyhoo... it all worked out really well. Even though David had been a manwhore, it was really cute to watch him be so careful, to try to not screw things up, to calm the skittish Alison... and man, that boy has a dirty mouth! I was cracking up at all the cursing and the double entendres... and the British slang was really cute to see.

I'll add really quick that I did NOT read Adam's story, and while I felt there was history about Adam's relationship in book form, I wasn't lost at all. This can totally be read as a standalone.

[Carra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, yes, I'm a sucker for a hot, sexy, witty British guy. But believe me, once you've read No Ordinary Bloke you'll fall for David too. And just to make this book a double whammy for me, it's also one of those stories where that hot guy--who is one of those playing the field, not settling down playboy types--goes from being the playboy to finding The One. Too bad for him she's already taken.

But a guy like David...well, he can still work with that. And before anyone tries to pull the "I don't like stories where someone's cheating or stealing someone's girl"--you need to read the whole thing first.

I did get a little irritated with Allison at some points, and felt she let things with Trey go on a bit too long which slowed my reading down a bit while I pushed through waiting for things to pick up with her and David.

But overall, the smooth writing and David's character-funny, witty, sweet...and don't forget hot and sexy-make this an enjoyable read with the happy ending that I was hoping for.

4.5 stars for this fun read (and where can I find my own hot British guy?), recommended for 18+.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 to 4.5 stars

When I met Allison Wright, the fates were on my side, but I soon learned that the odds were against me.

David Bates is Adam's slightly obnoxious, flirty cousin who we initially met in the Beside Your Heart series. We have seen him in his teens in the other books up until the present where he is now a thirty-eight year old Vice President of an Investment Firm. And on one of his business trips, meets Allison Wright who works for a different firm. He flirts, he teases, he admires, but she has a boyfriend...one that he knows and is not a big fan of. But David is experienced in how to get his way with women. And he is a man with a plan. Thus begins quite a journey for these two.

"You are a cockney scoundrel."
"I'll take that as a compliment."

This is a story of change, friendship, and love that spans countries and time. Their relationship was full of roadblocks, setbacks, issues, break ups and reconciliations. They both had issues from their pasts and present to deal with.

I adored David. I liked him in the other books as he always added comic relief, but also support. But I could now see his charming, cocky, flirty attitude hid a broken and vulnerable man. He was sexy, charismatic, and had a good sense of humor. He did not really have connections with women he was involved with so he was seen as a playboy. But he really was a good guy who really cared deeply. He was willing to embrace change and make an effort, but was not used to having such strong feelings and having to work so hard for something he wanted. And no matter how he tried to avoid it, his past just got him in trouble sometimes.

All of my life, I'd been a confident bloke. Only my family knew how much of the confidence was actually bluster.

I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with Allison. I liked her personality and I liked her for David. But she did a lot of advance then retreat moves. I hated how she played with David's emotions at times even though I know she was just trying to do the right thing for her. But I hated to see David hurt. But there were also some other times that I was happy to see her stand up and make an extra effort.

I could feel their connection, rapport, and strong feelings. I loved their interactions and them together, but I hated to see their struggles. But I also think that all they dealt with ultimately made them both realize how much they truly meant to each other. And also provided both with a catalyst to make changes that they had been avoiding. But it was not a short, easy process.

"I know I'm just an ordinary bloke, but I love you with all my heart and I'll do everything I can to make your life extraordinary."

It was a sweet, funny, emotional read with a mature couple with many challenges. It was told in David's point of view so I could feel his true heart, feelings, and fears. I found myself smiling and laughing often, but also was sad and heartbroken at times too. The characters were multi-faceted and full of layers. The story was not a quick insta-love one. They really had a lot of obstacles to get through and they were not easily fixed. As with this author's other books, she gives them a chance but then makes them fight to keep it. And stomps on your heart along the way.

The bloody universe had its own ideas about our fate, and it also laid out our path. The different paths people got were f***ing unfair, but it wasn't like you could choose your path. You only had a choice in the chances to take and decision to make.

Fans of Mary Whitney's Beside Your Heart series will enjoy David's story and hanging out with his family and friends. I loved getting more with his cousin, Adam, Nicki, and baby Veronica, and even his other outspoken cousin, Sylvia was much needed in this story. But it is easily read as a stand alone, and enough is told about Adam and Nicki's story in this one to give a bit of background into all of their pasts. And I am a sucker for a good epilogue and this one was priceless.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review. Will be posted at Reviews by Tammy and Kim

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are unexpected pleasures in life -- finding $20 in coat you haven't worn since last winter, a fabulous pair of shoes on sale, a nice quiet spot outdoors to read and soak up the sun....But then there is the happy surprise of finding out that favorite author is extending a (very) beloved series and giving an adored supporting character their own book. That. Is. Christmas.
David Bates is the cousin of Adam Kincaid from Mary Whitney's Heart Series. He is not only Adam's cousin, but his best friend and I would almost say that David is also his Wizard of Oz. David is THAT guy -- gregarious, bigger than life and well, he comes off as a bit of a piglet, but as with many things, if said with a British accent, it sounds so much less offensive.
That said -- I love David. He's is smart, funny and honest about who he is --- again, with the full knowledge that he can say anything and spoken with the British accent, sounds perfectly charming. From the moment he sees her, speaks of her, the reader knows that Alison Wright is David’s Ms. Right. But a lot of things stand in the way of making it so, as he bides his time, David does something completely out of character – he forgoes the pursuit of Alison as a sexual conquest and they become friends.

The story told in David’s POV and honestly felt like we were in David’s head. I love that Mary Whitney can write in the male POV and it doesn’t ever feel like it has a woman’s filter. How the story is developed is also brilliant. David is a strategic guy (consultant speak, for street-smart) and not having Alison fall at his feet or into his bed for a tumble is a bit of a mind-blower. We know going into this book that David does love and adore women, but has no interest in committing. As an investment banker, he loves the chase and the conquest.

Alison is a wild card. She is Middle America values with a sense of adventure that leads her to our David. As a human resources professional, she is naturally wary of people and does not hand over her trust willy-nilly -- especially to dashing, dirty-talking Brits who play the tables and might have a bird in nearly every port. Alison knows that she’s got cause (and a fiancé) holding her back from a potential relationship. But there is also the irresistibility of this man that just doesn’t quit.

This story put the lid and the bow on the Heart series. Because we get a check-in with our beloved Adam and Nicki, as well as cousin Sylvia has her say --- which she totally demands. I loved getting to know David better from not only his back-story, but also in how he and Alison grew together. By the end of the book, I just loved him that much more.

As always, Mary Whitney delivers a book that engages the reader straight away. There is an easiness and a level of comfort in her writing style that allows us to get totally lost and engrossed in the story, as well as develops a strong affinity for her characters. Though I have found myself wanting more of this series (Sylvia, please?) it does feel as though it has come to its natural end.

I loved No Ordinary Bloke for all of this and the fact that it was such good book. I had to literally ration my reading time because I got so caught up in this story and the characters. Yes, I am sad that this series has officially ended, but this was a perfect ending. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book from Mary Whitney.

[Wennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of No Ordinary Bloke by Mary Whitney
Reviewed by Wennie Conedy
5/5 stars

David Bates is one smooth charmer. Glib, witty, accomplished world traveler, this smooth talking Englishman liked women, I mean, he really really likes women. He never thought he could fall for anyone; until he met a certain American redhead by the name of Allison Wright. Thinking he could charm his way into her good graces, David quickly finds out that Allison is unlike any woman he had been with before. Will he successfully find his way into her … er, life?

I totally fell for the charming David Bates. I fell for his charm; I fell for his wit, I fell for his dogged strategic pursuit of Allison. Yes, it was strategic.The tactics he applied in his pursuit of Allison reminded me of high powered negotiations. He knew when to approach and offer, and he knew when to withdraw and wait. He planned every encounter and he carefully thought out how to react to her so as not to scare her away. His forthright way of declaring his intentions was charming and quite effective, that is, until his past caught up to his present.

As for Allison, I liked her. I mean, I realize that she is quite naïve and in the same vein that I wanted to shake the hardheadedness out of David, I wanted to shake the naivety out of Allison. She was a high-ranking employee in the HR department, and she couldn’t see when she was being played? That was one part of her character that was hard to grasp. But I do admire her strong moral compass and wish that there were more people like her.

Mary Whitney created a story that is charming, witty and hard to put down. Flawed or not, Mary’s characters stayed true to form, and were consistent throughout the book, including the secondary characters, some of whom make only quick, but very memorable appearances. The story’s pacing is quick, and the scenes move along crisply.

It’s quite refreshing to read a book from the male protagonist’s point of view. David’s voice is consistent throughout the book. David had certain scenes where it would have been easy for the author to fall into the trap of exploiting the emotional aspect of the scene. I am so happy to say that Mary Whitney refrained from doing so, and truly kept the David’s emotional responses true to his character.

It was bittersweet for me as I approached the end of the book, but I loved to see how David matured, yet part of him remained the same raunchy, randy and sexy man that he is.

[books are love · Rating 5 out of 5]

for those who have read the wonderful beside your heart series ms. Whitney beautifully crafted, David, Adam and Niki are back in this wonderful book on watching David find his forever.

David was the consummate ladies man. Never staying with one for long and always having someone to turn to until a lovely american came crashing into his world. On a flight to Asia, David meets Alison and instantly he falls. He just doesn't know it. He knows she is interesting, amazing smart and beautiful just that he falls in love. Falls in love and doesn't want to know it.

David is a fun smart guy who will have you smiling with each thought you see and action he does. We see humour, sensitivity and love. Each emotion is felt by the way Ms. Whitney has it come alive through words. With each tear he sheds you cry. Each smile you smile. Their relationship has you root for them every step of the way even when they are just friends and Alison is with a douchecanoe. David knows this but doesn't want to break her heart so he just is there as a friend for her.

We are taken through every aspect of their relationship from friendship, to separation, guilt, heartache, heartbreak, growing up, finding peace within yourself, finding the strength to change and love thoroughly, forgiveness and coming back to together. Each moment is special in its own way and has significance that builds upon itself.

Their is brevity in each date that isn't a date. Lightheartedness in each talk and action that makes their time together easy and fun. The zoo is my favorite of their outings. As we chronicle each facet of their relationship in this amazing heartfelt book it is like you are there with them experiencing what they are and feeling what they are as well.

A heartwarming sweet and fun chronicling of two people who are meant to be together as we are brought through each trial, tribulation success, heartache and joy in their coming together. We see each character grow to be more endearing and beautiful just as their relationship does. A wonderful story that should be enjoyed like a fine wine.

[Eva • All Books Considered · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review originally posted at All Books Considered

No Ordinary Bloke is a companion story to Mary Whitney's Beside Your Heart series (review of book 3 of that series, Forever Your Heart, here). This book is about Adam's cousin, David, who is introduced in that series although you need not read the series before this book as it is a stand-alone.

What can I say about David? Certainly sometimes he is crass but it was pretty awesome reading his story and his slow descent into love. I really liked the fact that much of the book was set in England (although there were a lot of scenes in New York and a few elsewhere). David's voice is so unique -- I truly felt like I was in head in reading this book but I adore Allison as well. This was a slightly unorthodox pair but that made it all the more rewarding when they came together. The fact that David truly had to take his time and work for it was so, so good. As with all of Mary Whitney's books, I absolutely loved this one! If you haven't read any of her books, I highly, HIGHLY recommend them all!!

What started as a slow romantic kiss soon spun out of control. It was like she'd been penned up, and she could finally release herself. I felt the same way, but crikey. I'd promised to restrain myself, and now the woman was all over me. There we were in the middle of London, and all I could think was God bless America. When those girls lost their inhibitions, all bets were off.

[Monique Machuca-Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Ordinary Bloke is a story of David Bates a thirty-eight year old obnoxious charming ladies Englishman and American Allison Wright whom currently has a boyfriend, but can fate bring the two together from different countries for love?

“When I met Allison Wright, the fates were on my side, but I soon learned that the odds were against me.”

David is thought to be a lady’s man, because he did seen to be involved with the women he had relations with even though he was caring person. Everything always came easily for David, so he had rarely had to work hard for something he wanted while feelings was an emotion he struggle with it seem to land him in trouble.

“All of my life, I'd been a confident bloke. Only my family knew how much of the confidence was actually bluster.”

Allison starts to have strong feelings for David, but she finds herself torn. Allison and David both struggle at times, but is truly fate that they are meant to be together as a couple or just friends?

"We can be Friends."
"Friends? Do you have any female friends?"
"Of course. You met Natalie."
"You used to date Natalie. Or something with her.
That's why you're Friends."
"Are you saying that to be friends you have to shag the
person? Because if that's your prerequisite, I'm happy
to oblige whenever you need."

Mary Whitney’s novel, No Ordinary Bloke, does a magnificent job writing a captivating story that will have you feel as if you are on an emotional roller coaster. No Ordinary Bloke will capture your attention immediately and will be unable to put the book down.

“The bloody universe had its own ideas about our fate, and it also laid out our path. The different paths people got were f***ing unfair, but it wasn't like you could choose your path. You only had a choice in the chances to take and decision to make.”

Mary Whitney’s novel, No Ordinary Bloke, receives - 5 AMAZING STARS!

[CeCe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
I loved David. I loved his thoughts. I could not wait to read David’s story. I could not wait to see who the woman would be to capture David’s heart and I was so excited to meet her. Then David meets her and I think he met his equal. However as the story continued and I learned more about Allison, I did not really feel that way. I may be in the minority, but she was okay.

David is funny and hot and such a good friend. I love his friendship with Adam. For the fans of BESIDE YOU HEART we do see Adam and Nicki in this book. I love that couple. AND if you have not read BESIDE YOUR HEART, I highly recommend it. It was one of my favorite reads of 2013.

Now there are things about Allison that I did not like. Those things ruined the love story between David and her for me. I expected the best for David and in my opinion, Allison was not the best. I know I am in the minority here. It took too long for her to “clear” things and at that point I was telling David to move on. With her situation, I could not connect. I am glad this was not an insta-love, but I wish that certain things would have been cleared up earlier. I am one of those readers that if I do not like the heroine it is hard for me to connect.
Mary Whitney is an amazing author and I will read more by her.

A copy was provided by the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[NA · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ARC copy given to me on netgalley for an exchange for an honest review.

I don't know how to describe this book, normally I would say boring; because it is same old same old, but I didn't find it boring, I actually liked it so much that I gave it 4.5 stars. Maybe I would have given it a 5 stars if I read the rest of the series, but I couldn't find the link of it on Goodreads so I didn't read it.

David is a thirty-eight, I guess or something like that, bachelor who lived a life full of one night stands, but then he meets his one match in an airport, if all of us could met their match in an airport, it is unlikely in real life, but that is why I read romance novel; to escape reality for a little bit. Anyway he met Alison who was in a relationship at that time with an older, richer man who cheated on her and she didn't know. There was a spark between them, but both of them ignored it, or well Alison did, for the sake of her relationship.

And the rest of the book is spent with them being just friends, not even friends with benefits. But here is the thing, the book had so much emotion. I felt what they felt, I understood where are they coming from, even if I read a story like that one a lot, but this book had emotion that spoke its own language.

I liked that book and I hope you like it too.


For More Reviews Visit http://myaddictionforbooksandcoffee.b...

[Jeannie Zelos · Rating 3 out of 5]

No Ordinary Bloke, Mary Whitney
Review from jeannie zelos book reviews
This novel is a perfect example how subjective reading tastes are. It’s a well written, well thought out, lots to like ( David’s Britishisms...as a Brit myself they were great and made a huge change from the all American phrases we usually get!!) but...it just didn’t gel with me. Somehow I felt as though I was always waiting for something to happen, waiting, waiting, waiting, and then – oh, its over. I liked David, his humour was great, though of course his arrogance was a fault but it made his falling in love with Allison very much more delicious, a secret revenge for all the girls that have pined after him without a look. I didn’t like the way everyone but Allison knew about Trey – in fact I couldn’t see what on earth she saw in him?? And why what was so obvious to everyone else was lost to her.
So, though its a decent read, a sweet HEA romance, it isn’t one with any great actions, depth or drama, and for me it was just an OK read, and not one to keep. There's not much more to say really, except decide for yourself, it wasn’t one for me but I'm sure there will be readers that love this gentle, slow romance. I just need More. More action, more drama, more emotion..Sadly this was just An Ordinary Romance.
 
Stars: Three.
ARC supplied via Netgalley and publisher.

[Jennifer Schultheis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I started "No Ordinary Bloke", I could not put it down. This was such a great romance story, that had me smiling throughout the whole book. The characters are completely awesome and I would definitely love to hang with both Allison and David. From the very beginning of this story, David made his way on my book boyfriend list. Reading about him and his niece baby V, was just the cutest thing. I also loved how he kept pursuing Allison and how he honestly liked her. Mary Whitney hasn't published a book, I haven't liked and I doubt she will. This is one author, that everyone should have in their bookcases or kindle library.

I received this book through NetGalley.

[Philomena Callan Cheekypee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally loved this book. I've read the Beside Your Heart series by this author and was super excited to hear that David was getting his own story.

I just love David. He has no intentions of settling down. That is until he meets Allison. Unfortunately Allison has a boyfriend. Later on things change for Allison. These two then end up dating.

This book is brilliant. I loved the main characters and I loved the storyline. I read this in one day as I couldn't put it down. Great story Mary :)

[Cinthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars Just because I want more after David and Allison are finally together.

I loved David since I first met him in 'Beside Your Heart' but in this book David is even better, more beautiful, more friendly, cheerful and everything good, a perfect sweet British man. I want one (a British man) for me.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good simple love story. Not too much drama. A little back and forth, but I liked the so puli city. I especially liked how the book was 100% in David's pov. We always tend to get the femal pov, or both. The epilogue was in Allisons pov but it was short and sweet.

[Lindsey Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come!

[Margarita · Rating 5 out of 5]

British Boys Make Me Swoon!!

[Midian Sosa · Rating 2 out of 5]

and I'm being generous.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great fun read, very different to what I was expecting. Believable characters and a slowly developing romance. Love the author's style as well.